Refrigerator door



May 23 1933. J. P. CLARKIN REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed June 28, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l iwi--- 6.-----.11 .wfL IIIOIL ///I a f f Pm L x 3 m..

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/Nl/ENTOR JOHN P. C LnRmN BY Fxq. 4

ATTORNEY May 23, 1933. J. P. CLARKIN REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed June 28, 1952 sheets-sheet 2 LIJN .L/

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. Il IIIIIJIJII N.- www TR .AR WL. we@ Rm. N H O J Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN RUCLARKIN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSGNOR T WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING CUMPANY, EAST PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA REFRIGERATOR DOOR Applcation led June 28,

My invention relates to doors for refrigerators and the like, and it has for an object to provide an improved construction thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide which is adapted for the embodiment ofa porcelain or similar outer facing panel:

A. further object is to providev a refrigerator door construction enabling a porcelain outer panel to be employed with minimum breakage of porcelain panels.

A further object is to provide a door construction yvhich may be assembled into a unit before the outer facing panel is applied, in order to reduce liability of breakage.

A further object is to provide a door construction whereby the outermost panel may be readily removed and replacedv in the event it becomes defaced.

A further object is to provide a unitary door construction to which any one of a plurality of outermost panelsmay be applied.

A further object is to provide a door construction enabling the parts constitutingthe body of the door to be assembled into a unit before applying theouter facing panel, so that the same door body may be adapted to refrigerators of different finishes or colors by applying the proper facing panel.

ln accordance With my invention, lil pro-4 vide a base or frame member for the door through which the door is supported.. Preferably, the base ymember is of sheet metal and also forms a part ofthe door flange. It is an unfinished panel'jrather than a facing panel. Aninner panelis secured to the base member in spaced relation thereto, preferably by breaker strips vor-.moulding eXtending around the periphery of the door, providing a heat-insulating space therebetween.,l 4 After these *parts are assembled, an outer facing panelis placed on ythe outer'gside `of 'the base member. Suitable hardware, such. f as hinges anda latch, is then secured to the 1932. Serial No. 619,754.

base member, securing the outer facing panel therebetween.

The outer panel is provided with mar ginal flange portions covering the narrow side of the door flange, and preferably, also forming a portion of the inner side of the door flange. rllhe base memberis preferably provided at one edge with projections engaging the adjacent marginal flange portion of the outer panel to secure the saine to the base member.

The above and other objects are effected by my invention, as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator embodying my novel door;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View, taken on the line lillli of Fig. l, showing the construction of the door;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the door, taken on the line lill- Hl of Fig. 2, certain diniensions being exaggerated for clearness; an

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view, partly broken and partly in section, as seen from the line IV-IV of Fig. 1, showing how the outer panel is applied to the door.

Referring now to the drawings more in ,i

detail, l show, in Fig. l, a refrigerator having a door l1 connected to the refrigerator by hinges 12 and adapted to be re-i` tained in closed position thereagainst by a latch 13. Referring to Fig. 2, the door includes a base member 14 disposed adjacent the outer side of the door. 1 The door is supported through the base member, which is attached to the'hinges. 12. 'llhe base member 111 is referably of sheet metal, and

preferably orms an unfinished intermediate panel of the door, as indicated at 14.

The base member is-providedwith marginal portions thereof comprising parts 15 e5 extending'toward the inner side of the door and parts 16 extending parallel to the panel and inwardly toward the center of the door. lt is further provided with Hanges 17 extending obliquely toward the inner side of the door. The door is provided with an innerfacing panel 18, provided with flanges 19 extending obliquely toward the flanges 17. The base member 14 and the inner panel 18 are connected in spaced relation by any suitable means such as breaker strips 21, of any suitable material, extending around the periphery of the door and connected to the flanges 19 and 17 as by screws 22. A rubber asket 30 for the inner side of the door ange is secured betweenthe breaker strips 21 andthe flanges 17. The space between the intermediate and inner panels provides a heat insulating space, which may be filled with suitable heat insulating material such as the package insulation 23, the block insulation 24 and the loose fibrous insulation On the outer side of the base member 14, I provide an outer facing panel 26, a layer of felt 27 for cushioning and heat insulation being interposed between the intermediate and outer panels. The outer panel 26 ,pieces 29, said angle pieces being secured to the part 15 of the marginal portion. These angle pieces or projections 29 engage the back side of the upturned flange 28, to retainthe adjacent edge of the .outer panel 26 against the door. The base member 14 is provided with flat reenforcingmembers 31 adjacent the hinges 12 and the latch 13, and screws 32, which attach said hardware ,to the base member, extending into engagement with said reenforcements.

The above described door is preferably crnstructed according to the following metho The base member is placedv with the marginal portions extending upwardly, and the insulation is placed therein. As al separate step, the breaker strips 21 are assembled on the inner panel 18. The inner panel is then placed on top of the insulating material, and the breaker strips 21 are connected to theilanges 17, one edge of the sealing gasferent colors.

ket 30 being inserted and secured therebetween. There is thus provided an assembled unit which may be applied to anyone of a number of different refrigerators having different types of finish, for example, lacquer and porcelain enamel, and having difturned upside down to the position shown in The assembled unit is then Fig. 4, andthe outer facing panel 26 is applied. The upturned flange 28 is first engaged under the projections 29, and the outer panel is then swung down onto the body of the door. The hardware for the door, such as the hinges 12 and the latch 13, is then sc.- cured to the door by means of the screws 32, said screws extending through the outer facing panel 26, thereby securing said outer facing panel between the hardware and the base member 14.

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have provided an improved construction of door. The outer facing panel is not applied to the door until the body of the door has been assembled into a unit, thereby greatly reducing the amount of breakage of outer facing panels incurred during assembly. This is of particular importance in connection with porcelain enamel panels, which are particularly subject to chipping.

It will also be apparent that a common construction of door body may be manufactured and kept in stock for a plurality of different types of refrigerators, with respect to the type and color of the finish. .For ex! matches the finish and color of the refrig` erator to which it is applied. In the event that the facing panel becomes defaced, it may be readily replaced by a new facing panel without disassembling the body of the oor.

It isalso to be noted that by my improved construction of door', the danger of chipping or lcracking the porcelain enamel on the outer panel is reduced by supporting the door through the unfinishedbase member 14, theouter panel 26 ,carryinggno weight other than its own and, therefore, being subject to "a minimum of forces tending to distort the same. It will be appreciated that articles yof this nature cannot be practically manufactured with precision and that, when the parts are assembled, they must giveto conform to each other. That is, when attaching the breaker strips to the marginal portions of the base member, said marginal portions; must give if not accurate- 1y aligned with the breakerstrips. The

marginal portions of the outer facing panel Aare relieved of such distortion which would in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of'various chan es and modiications, without departing rom the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cabinet door comprising a sheet metal inner panel, sheet metal intermediate panel spaced therefrom, breaker strips connecting the panels around the periphery of the door, heat-insulating material Within the space between said panels, and an -outer facing panel of sheet material secured on the exterior side of the intermediate panel.

2. A cabinet door comprising a sheet metal inner finished panel, a sheet metal intermediate unfinished panel spaced therefrom, means for vconnecting the inner' and intermediate panels, heat-insulating material in the space between saidjpanels, and a sheet metal outer finished panel secured on the exterior side of the intermediate panel.

3. ln afheat-,insulated door for refrigerators and the like, the combination of a sheet inetalbase panel, an inner panel of sheet material secured thereto in spaced relation to provide a heat insulating space therebetween, an outer panel of sheet material on the outer side of the base panel, hardware for the door disposed on the outer side of the outer panel, and means for securing the hardware to the base panel and for securing the outer panel therebetween.

4. ln a heat-insulated door for refrigerators and thelike, the combination of a sheet metal base panel having marginal portions forming a door flange, an inner panel of sheet material connected to the base panel, heat-insulating material between the inner and base-panels, a Hexible gasket secured on .the inner side of the door flange, and an outer panel of sheet material secured on the outer side of the base panel and having marginal portions covering the ,narrow sides of the door ange.

5. A heat-insulated door for refrigerators and the like, comprising a base panel of sheet metal @ving marginal portions extending transversely toward the inner side of the door and then inwardly parallel to the panel, a sheet metal inner panel connected to the base panel in spaced relation thereto to provide a heat-insulating space therebetween, an outer panel of sheet material disposed on the outer side of the base panel and having marginal portions extending transversely toward the inner side of the door and then inwardly parallel to the panel and in alignment with the inwardlyextending parts of the base panel marginal portions, and means for securing the outer panel to the base panel.

6. In a heat-insulated door for refrig` erators and the like, the combination of a metal basemember, an inner panel, means including breaker strips for connecting the inner panel to the basemember in spaced relation thereto, heat-insulating .material between the base member and the inner panel,

an outer panel of sheet material disposed lber and for securing the outer panel therebetween.

7. A heat-insulated door for refrigerators and the like comprising a base panel of sheet metalv having marginal portions extending transversely toward the inner side of the door and then inwardly parallel to the panel, an inner panel connected to the base panel in spaced relation thereto to provide a heat-insulating space therebetween, an

outer panel of sheet material disposed onl the outer side of the base panel and having marginal portions extending transversely toward the inner side of the door and then inwardly parallel to the panel and in alignnient with the inwardly-extending parts of the base panel marginal portions, retaining members carried by the marginal portion at one edge of the base panel and engaging the inwardly-extending part of the adjacent outer panel marginal portion, and addition-v al means for securing the outer panel to the base panel.

8. A heat-insulated door for refrigerators and the like comprising a base panel of sheet metal having marginal portions extending transversely toward the inner side of the door and then inwardly parallel to the panel, an inner panel connected to the base panel in spaced relation thereto to provide a heat-insulating space therebetween, an outer panel of sheet material disposed on the outer side of the panel and having marginal portions extending transversely toward the inner side Aof the door and then inwardly parallel to the panel and in alignment with the inwardly-extending parts of the base panel marginal portions, retaining members carried by the marginal portion at one edge of the base panel and engaging the inwardly-extending part of the adjacent outer panel marginal portion, hardware for the door disposed adjacent the opposite edge of the base panel and on the outer side of the outer panel, and means for securingthe hardware to the base panel and for securing the outer panel therebetween. 1

9. A heat insulated door for refrigerators and the like comprising a sheet metal base panel adjacentl the outer side of the door,

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`said base panel having marginal portions base panel and having marginal portions forming a covering for the narrow side of the door flange. e

10. In a heat-insulated door, the combination of a metal base member, an innerpanel, means including breaker strips for connecting the inner panel to the base member in spaced relation thereto, heat-insulating material between the base member and the 'inner panel, an vouter facing panel of sheet material on the outer side of thefframe member, and means for supporting the door through the base member.

11. In a heat-insulated door, the combination of a base member, an inner panel, means including breaker strips for connecting the inner panel to the base member in spaced relation thereto, heat-insulating material be'- tween the base member and the `inner panel, an outer'facing 'panel of sheet material on the outer side of the base member, hardware on the outer side of the outer panel, and means for securing the hardware-to the base member and the outer paneltherebetween.

12. In a heat-insulated door for refri erators and the like, the combination of a s eet` met-al base member formed to provide the base of the door flange and including transversely-extending parts and inwardly-extending parts at the opposite edges of the transversely-extending parts, an inner panel A connected to said inwardly-extending part, I an outer panel of sheet material on the outer side of the base member and having transversely-extending marginal portions covering said transversely-extending parts, hardware for the door disposed on the outer side of the outer panel, and means for securing said hardware to the base member and for thereby securing the outer panel therebetween. e

13. AI Ycabinet door Y comprising a sheet metal inner panel and an intermediate member spaced therefrom, breaker strips connecting the inner panel and the intermediate smember around' the periphery of the door,

tors and the like, the combination of a base member, an inner panel of sheet material secured thereto in spaced relation, an outer panel of sheet material on the outer side of the base member, hardware for the door disposed on the outer side of the outer panel, means for securing the hardware to the base member and for securing the outer panel therebetween and heat insulating lmaterial between the inner and outer panels.

16. In a heat insulated door for refrigerators and the like, the combination of the base member having marginal portions forming a door flange, an inner panel of sheet material connected t0 the base member, a flexible gasket secured on the inner 

